DIY Olive Oil, Orange Blossom Water and Aloe Vera Oil Cleanser

What a wordy title, right? I’m not sure how else to call this oil cleanser though and I’m going to stick with it since it only has three ingredients. Here’s a super easy, DIY oil cleanser I use when I double cleanse!

If you’re like me, the idea of running out of your oil cleanser fills you with dread. Especially when you only have two varieties versus the mountain of regular cleansers to choose from. Variety is the spice of life or something like that.

 

I don’t have exact measurements since you can (and should) tailor the amounts to your personal preference. As long as the ratio of oil to non-oil liquid (of your choosing) is equal. Or, you can put more oil and up the ration to 2:1. See what I mean? This is more of an idea, an inspiration meant for you to make your own type with ingredients you love.

I already had 100% pure aloe vera and pure orange blossom water kicking around my kitchen (I’ve been doing a lot of DIY skincare masks and facial mists) and if you’re hesitant to buy a big bottle of aloe vera juice, just know that there are so many ways to use it up. You can make DIY sheet masks with only aloe vera juice, you can tone your face with it or even make a facial mist. You have to keep the opened bottle in the fridge and splashing on the cool juice on your face is so soothing and refreshing.

 

I chose to use extra virgin olive oil because who doesn’t have olive oil? It also has a generally low comedogenic rating of 2! If you have trouble skin, oily to combination and/or you have large pores, I recommend you choose an oil with a moderately low comedogenic rating.

Steer clear of coconut oil, even if it’s tempting and smells delicious because it has a high comedogenic rating of 4 or higher (5 being the maximum, that the oil will clog your pores and cause breakouts if you have oily or trouble skin). 

Benefits:

• 100% Aloe vera juice: is known to soothe the skin, decrease chances of inflammation and hydrates the skin. It is loaded with vitamins and is an anti-oxidant.
• Orange blossom water: soothes and tones the skin, balances sebum, softens and brightens the skin.
• Extra virgin olive oil: is a low comedogenic oil with a rating of 2, is an anti-bacterial, softens and moisturizes while clearing away the dirt and sebum on the skin.

The Negotiables:

• You can and should use any oil that suits your skin type. Also, keeping in mind if you want to splurge on a luxury oil or keep it relatively affordable. Personally, I opted for an affordable low comedogenic oil because I double cleanse and see no point in splurging.
• You can use all orange blossom water and omit the aloe vera but you obviously won’t get the same benefits as you would if the aloe vera was present. You can also omit the orange blossom water and go complete aloe vera but I love the smell of the orange blossom water.
• You can switch up the orange blossom water for rose water! I plan on doing this when I’ve used this cleanser up.
• Make this your own to suit your needs and personal preference.

The Non-Negotiables:

• If you use aloe vera, it must be 100% pure, no additives or anything! I looked on Amazon and noticed most, if not all, had additives, preservatives or alcohol. Do not use any of those. You want pure aloe vera juice (I found mine in the refrigerator area of the health food section at my local grocery store)! Remember, this is going on your face and your face won’t thank you for feeding it junk food.
• If you use olive oil, it must be extra virgin olive oil and make sure to see if there are any other oils listed and check their comedogenic oil rating too. Again, you want the best quality like the 100% pure aloe vera juice but you also want to make sure it’s within your budget.
• Orange blossom water, please make sure there aren’t any added fragrances! Fragrances irritate the skin and you really don’t want that.
• This must be kept in the fridge because of the pure aloe vera juice.
• The olive oil will solidify slightly in the fridge. The day I made it, I made sure to vigorously shake the cleanser and put it in the fridge. Did it affect the viscosity? Probably not. In the morning, before I wash my face, I take the cleanser out five to ten minutes before I wash my face.
• Before use, shake really well so the contents of the cleanser are well mixed.

 

This oil cleanser is definitely super gentle and it won’t lather since there are no sulphates to create foam or bubbles. No sulphates=better for your skin.  I also don’t know how this oil cleanser would perform if you only used this and didn’t double cleanse.

I love using this cleanser! Even as the first step when I double cleanse, I find my skin more supple and less irritated, especially when I use a harsher facial wash.

The ratio I had used was:

• half of the bottle was aloe vera juice
• a good splash of orange blossom water
• fill the rest of the bottle to the top with olive oil

 

A splash of orange blossom water.

Fill to the halfway point with aloe vera juice.

Then top off the bottle with olive oil.

Next time, I will definitely increase the orange blossom water since I adore the fresh and floral scent. I will also try adding rose water, instead of the orange blossom water since that is another scent I love and rose water is so good for the skin (anti-inflammatory, controls sebum, soothes the skin etc).

 

Overall, this was a successful foray into making my own oil cleanser and I’m definitely going to test out the different types of liquids I could use. Thank you, as always, for reading!

Much love,

Annie.

 

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This is all common sense but I still feel the need to write this out. Also, there is a disclaimer page on this blog, I urge you to check it out, especially when I post any DIY skincare stuff. But I’ll write a small one here. I am not a professional, expert or dermatologist. I don’t know what works for your skin and I am not telling you this is the golden standard. I don’t know how your skin will react. You do you, I do me. I know what works for me and I am not liable for any and all reactions your skin or you exhibit. Basically, you are your own responsibility and I am my own responsibility.